Nearly Half Of The World’s Migratory Species Are In Decline

Nearly half of the world’s migratory species are in decline, according to a new United Nations (UN) report, Christina Larson reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Bar-tailed godwits are listed as "Near Threatened" on the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Many songbirds, sea turtles, whales, sharks, and other migratory animals move to different environments with changing seasons and are imperiled by habitat loss, illegal hunting and fishing, pollution, and climate change.

The report found that about 44% of migratory species worldwide are declining in population.

More than a fifth of the nearly 1,200 species monitored by the UN are threatened with extinction.

“These are species that move around the globe. They move to feed and breed and also need stopover sites along the way,” said Kelly Malsch, lead author of the report released at a UN wildlife conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Habitat loss or other threats at any point in their journey can lead to dwindling populations.

“Migration is essential for some species. If you cut the migration, you’re going to kill the species,” said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, who was not involved in the report.

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